Dry-pipe-valve accelerator



March 20, 1928.

. E. TYDEN DRY PIPE VALVE ACCELERATOR original Filed Feb. 4. 1925 5 sheets-Sheen 1 March 20, 1928. 1,662,839

E. TYDEN v DRY PIPE VALVE. ACCELERATOR Original Filed Feb. 4. 1925 5 Sheets-Shen 2 EMIL/dem.

March 20, 1928. 1,662,839

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i E. TYDEN DRY PIPE vALvE AccELERAToR 5 Sheets-Sheet y5 original Filed Feb.' 4. 1925 zmaz @dem .Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL TYDEN, por EVANSTON', T'LLINoI's.

DRY-PIPE-vnnvn ACCELERATOR.

Application filed February 4, 1925, Serial No. 6,6757. Renewed July 31, 1926.

ing made axial with respect to the1 inletand discharge pipes ot the dry pipe valve casing,

the accelerating device proper being. shown only in outside elevation of the casing.

Figure 2 is a detail section in the same plane as Figure 1 of a partA of the main valve casing and parts therein, showing the main valve and other parts connected therewith in dierent positions from those seen in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure l showing the invention applied to a dry pipe valve having the accelerating device operating for venting the system pressure.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in Figure showing the moving parts indifferent positions from those in which they appear in Figure 3.

Figure 5 isa view similar to Figurey 3 showing a modifiedV form of one feature of the construction.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view of a portion ot the structure shown in Figure 5 having the moving parts in different posi'- tions from those shown in Figuref.v I

Figure 7 i is a view similar to Figures "3 and 5 showing ainodificationfwith respect to the location and connection of the vent passage and valve. for venting thesystem pressure and means for operating said valves.

Figure S is a section at Figure 7. f

Figure 9 is a section axial Withtrespect to the air passagesthereof of the accelerating device common to all the dierent forms shown in the precedingfgures and shown therein only byan outside elevation ofthe casing. p

Figure 10 is a sectionfat the line, 10-"-10, on Figure 5.

Figure 11 isa 4section axial with respect to bothgliinbs ofthe-pipe. T', 36 in Figure 2'.

the line 8--8A on f lire;

In the structure illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 ot' the drawing, A, is the main valve casing 'which is shown connected to a water mamV supply pipe, B, and to the distributing pipe, C, of the sprinkler system which is not further shown but whiclrmay be understood as comprising branches leading to andl equipped with sprinkler heads which are constructed orbeing opened for rdischarge of water and exposed to temperature dueto fire in their vicinity. It will be understood that when a single sprinkler head is thus'opened, the waste' ofair therei through from the system eventually reduces the pressure in theentire air pressure region of the system so that the remaining pressure is inadequate to hold the main valve'seated against the l.water pressureoperat'ing inl the water main supply pipe, and that thereupon the main valve opens and the system is flooded with water, causing discharge of fuel from the sprinkler headlv or heads. And it is 'this desirable a'ccelerationiof the op'eningfotl the main valve when there isa w'asta'gev of air'from the pressure region of the system which would result in opening a single sprinkler head, but which shall not so operate upony minor leaka'gesv which are liable toioccur in any. extended'pipe system, and which would not indicate the presence of The accelerating device is in Vlarge partv substantially such asshown and dei scribed in my pending' application No. 733,677, tiled August 23,' 1924, andis the same `in all the' different' forms? of embodiment and applicationof the present invention 'sh'owninv the different groups offigu're's land Sit' will beV onlyj briefly described here:

This accelerating" device seen in `detail `f in Figure 9 consists of' two chambers, 10V' and 1'1, with' which-'the Y air pressure region of tlie system is connected by Way of a pipe, 12, the connection with "the accelerating device in thel forms shown in Figures 1 and 2 being through a valve structure, E, functioning as hereinafter described tor certain specific purposes. T he two chambers, l() and 11, are separated, as to communication between them, by a diaphragm, 13, which is exposed upon its opposite sides to the pressures eX- ist-ing in the two chambers respectively, which pressures are balanced under What may be called the normal conditions, and become unbalanced under conditions calling for the ope ation ot the accelerator for its acceleratingfunction. The valve structure in the fitting, E, controlling both the admission `ot pressure from the air pressure region ot' the system for operating the accelerator and the admission ot said pressure under the main valve tor opening it, admits this pressure directly and relatively freely tothe chamber, 11,\and indirectly and restrictedlyto the chamber, 10, through a flowally, or after it has been in service tory eX- tinguishing tire, the air pressure introduced from suitable source into the system is communicated through the pipe, 12, and the Avalve fitting, E, and passages controlledby the valve therein, directly to the chamber, 11, and restrictedly through the leak port, 16, to the chamber,` 10, but eventually' so as to cause the same pressure in both chambers, 10 and 11. VVhen air leakage occurs from the air pressure region ot the system less in amount than would result from a single opened sprinkler head, and less than would indicate presence ot lire, corresponding reductiono'f pressure is communicated to both the chambers, 10 and 11, at substantially the same rate, because` the leak port, 16, is adequate to permit as rapid flow as necessary to keep up with4 such minor leakage. But when the leakage amounts to as much as would re suit romthe single open sprinkler head, the pressure will be reduced in the chamber, 11, rapidly, and in the chamber, V10, very slowly, and the resultingr excess of pressure remain- `ing in the chamber, 10, over that remaining in chamber, 11, causes the diaphragm, 13, to be moved.` This diaphragm operates in this movement upon a plunger, 18, having its stem operatively related to a device, 100, which extends air-tight through a Wall of the chamber, 11, and exteriorily thereot1 operates a latch, 21, which normally upholds the Weighted lever, 22, which, When released Vby operation of the latch, falls and operates the valve in the valve fitting, E, for admitting vpressure from the air pressure region of the system through the pipe, Q0, to the `nterseat or atmospheric pressure chamber,

al, of the dry pipe valve, thereby offsetting the air pressure of the system operating upon the upper side of the valve in the chamber, a, over the area of said valve in excessot its area exposed to the Water pressure underneath, so that the Water pressure will open the valve substantially instantly as it' there Were only atmospheric pressure inthe pressure region oit the system. The pressure 4thus admitted under the valve is most conveniently admitted through the customary and necessary drip pipe passage, 32, through which atmospheric pressure operates under the valve inthe normal condition; and in order that` thehigher pressure admitted for the purpose ot' opening the valve may thus operate, it is essential that the cess of atmospheric pressure shall be cut oli, `otherwise the higher pressure would merely escape into the atmosphere. This is accomplished by providing a downwardly seating valve,35, at the outflow of the drip pipe in the vertical cross `ot the T-litting, 3G, whose horizontal stem leads to the interseat cha1nber, and into the upper end oit Whose cross the pressure-communicating pipe, 20, is connected. iVith this construction the atmospheric pressure is admitted past the upwardly opening check valve, 35, in the nor-V mal condition ot' the device; but when the superatmospheric pressure from the system is admitted through the pipe, 20, that pressure seats the valve, 35, and is itself admitted through the horizontal "tem ot' the T to the interseat chamber. This accele ating device, in `all its features as above stated, not a part of the present invention and any accelerating device adapted for utilizing the air pressure of the system to cause the prompt opening of the main. valve tor admitting Water to the system, may be employed Wit-hout departing `from the present invention. i Y

The present invention relates primarily to means for preventing Water from entering the accelerating device when it is admitted to the system and thereby would normally have access through the passages through which the air pressure reaches the accelerating device, for it will be noticed that it is essential to the-operation ot the accelerating device that a conduit for air commnication of the air pressure region of the systern with the chambersbetween which the balanced pressure element, shown as a diaphragm, is situated-for exposure to the op,

posing pressures, shall be open at all times when the system is set up for being brought into operation by the opening of a sprinkler head; and it would follow, in the absence of preventive means, that when the system is Hooded due to the opening of a sprinkler llt) lIU

Y the air pressure reaches the accelerating de-l `ated vice, will admit water to the device; and

during rthe time the system is being operfPor extinguishing the fire, all parts of the accelerating device might become filled with water, to the'damage of the somewhat delicate parts thereof, beside making it necessary to substantially disassemble the accelerator to clear it of water and clean it of 1 sediment and leave the parts in a dry condiing with the outlet aperture thereof in` which there is fitted a bushing, 46, which constitutes at its inner end a seat at 46a for a valve, 47, carried by a bell crank lever, 48, fulcrumed atlthe margin of the pocket, 40, and having a spring, 49, reacting upon the bell crank lever lfor normally seating the valve, 47, on t-he seat 46 at the inner end of the bushing, 46', where it will be understood it willbe normally seated and held seatedl by the air pressure of the system operating in the main valve chamber above the main valve, in the absence of mechanical connections operating to prevent such seat,- ing and for holding said valve, 47, off its seat while the main valve is fully seated. The other arm of the bell crank lever is connected by a flexible connector, as a chain, 50, with the main valve carryinglever, A3, said connector being of such length that when the main valve A2 is seated and the conductor is drawn taut, the valve, 47, is withdrawn and held away from its seat against the reaction of the spring, 49, so that so long as the main valve remainsv seated there is free access of air pressure from the air pressure region above the main valve to the accelerator; but as soon as the main valve leaves its seat as the result of admitting air pressure from the system under it to the inter-seat chamber, and before as the result of such opening any considerable amount of water can pass the main valve, the slacking of the flexible connector, 50, permits the valve,'47, to be seated by the spring, 49, as well as by the super-atmos `pheric pressure which is maintained in the air pressure region of the system, including the main valve chamber, so that while air pressure from the system is admitted freely to the accelerator before the main valve 'is Vventfrom the pressure region of the system.Y

opened, water is excluded from` thesystem as soon as the main valve is opened as the result of the vair pressure admitted to the accelerator.

In the forms shown in Figures 3 and 4 instead of admitting air pressure from the pressure region of the systemto the interseat chamber for causingthe opening of the main valve, a vent is provided from theair pressure region to relievethe pressure which has previously held the valve to its seat. For this purpose the accelerato-r device is identical with that above described, but it is connected with the air pressure region of the main valve directly instead of through theL valve struct-ure, E, and it operates'as above described upon reduction of kpressure in the system to the eXtent caused by the opening of a single sprinkler head for releasing the` weighted lever, 22, and permitting it to falli-*f But instead ofthe falling lofthis lever opening communica-tion for the system pressure to the chamber' of the main valve, it opens a This vent is provided by an exhaust port, 60,`4

vleading from the air pressure region of the main valve casing and controlled bya valve, 61", seating at the margin of the port 0n the seat, 62, there provided. This valve is carried at one end of a lever, 63, fulcrumed on the valve casing at 64, having the other end engaged with the stein, 53, of a device of the nature of a cup-shaped bellows which may. be of the character commonly known` as a sylphon. This sylphon device 'is ac' commodated in a. fitting, 51, having a flanged foot, 52, by which it is mounted at the margin of an opening, 50, through the valve casing wall into the air pressure region ofthe valve casing. 'The bellows element has its open end flanged, the flange, 54, being clamped between the llange foot of thev fitting, 51, and a packing-gasket, 55. The head or bottom of the bellows cup or sylphon7 is a disk, 56, to which thestem, 53, `is secured rigidly extending both outside and inside the said bellows cup` and obtaining guidance at the inside in abridge piece, 57, and at the outer side in a bridge, 58, the former clamped under the flange foot, 52, of the litting, 51, and the latter formed unitarily with said fitting. It will be understood that this cup bellows or sylphonl is exy posed interiorily to the air pressure in the system, whereby in the absence of restraining means it will be expanded, causing the stem, 53, engaged vwith the valve lever, 63, to openv the valvey and `vent the atmospheric pressure in the chamber. The stem, 53, outside the guide bridge,"58, encounters and is restrained by a bell crank' leverrlatch, 59, pivoted on the samey pivot yas the weighted lever, 22, and having an arm, 59a, extending in position to be encountered by the lug, 22, of the weighted lever in the movement of said lever which occurs when its upholding u sure.

The opening movement of the main valve slacks the flexible connec-tor, 50, and allows the valve, 17, to be seated as in the previously described construction of Figures 1 and 2. The main valve lever, A3, is formed as to its heel portion, i. 1, with a cam projection, a, which in the movement of the lever foropening the main valve encounters the valve, 61, and forces it` tiglitly to its seat; so that the escape of water through the air vent port is prevented.

In the terms shown in Figures 5 and `6 the venting oi" the air pressure is eleeted by means of a vent port, 70, formed through the main valve, A2, opening into the interseat chamber, a3, between the two seats alo and a2, which bound the areas ot the Water main pressure at one side and the system air pressure at the other side o t said main valve. This interseat chamber, as is well understood,

is normally open to atmospheric pressure ad-V mitted through the drain or drip pipe, 71, provided `for draining from the interscat chamber thewater which will accumulate therein when the main valve is open and the system is tlooded for discharging through open sprinkler heads in extinguishing tire; and, as is well understood, a valve, 72is Y necessarily provided for closing the port, 7 3,

wherewith the drip pipe is connected when the main valve is opened, said valve being customarily mounted as shown in Figure 5 for seating by gravity at the port, 73, and being` opened by encounter by the main valve in the seating movement ot that valve with the lever, 7 6,by which said valve, 72, is earried as seen in detail view in Figure 10. The

vent valve, 78, is carried by the leve-r, 79, which is mounted `on the upper side of the main ,valve` A?, most conveniently on the pivot oi" the main valve to its carrying lever, A3, and extends past the vertical plane `of the l'ulcruin of said lever, A3, terminates in position to encounter the tail, 80, of the bell crank lever, 81, (corresponding to the lever,

AG3, of Figure 3) in the closing movement of the main valve. A2, for retracting the stein, 53, of the cup bellows or sylphon (which is identical in construction with the corre` spending device shown in Figure 4i) to the position at which said stem may be locked by Athe latch, 59, when the weighted lever, 22, is swung up to latched position in resetting the apparatus after an instance of looding the system for extinguishing fire. A spring, 84, reacting between the level', 79, and the main valve-carrying lever, A3, may be stili enough not ,to` yield upon encouiiterot said lever, 79, with thebell crank lever arm, 81, in the operation just described, but not too stili to yield for permitting the valve, 78, to`

open when the sylphon Ais expanded under the air pressure which occurs when the stem, 53, is released by the latch, .59. The operation of this torni will beunderstood as identical with that et the form shown in Figures 3 and 4;.

ln Figures 7 and 8 there is shown a inedilieation in which the acceleration of the opening through a port, S5, into an .en-,

larged cavity, 8b, which extends through the open end of the fitting at its foot, 8a, where when the litting is mounted by said toot on theinain valve body as shown in Figure 7, the end otisaid enlarged cavity, 8, registers with a port, a", in the side plate, i 7, of said main valve body, which port is controlled by `a valve, 117x, corresponding to and operated similarly to the valve., 47, in Figure 1. The

passage, 82, in the fitting, i is furthercontrolled'by a valve, 8, seating` upwardly on a seat, 85, above which an atmosphere vent or exhaust port, 87, opens laterally of the iit ting,.8", and there maybercfonnected at that port-a pipe 86 leading toV any convenient disd charge point. The valve, 8c, is held normally seated by a spring, 89, eoilediabout its stein,.vvhich stem pirotrudes through a guide provided for it at 90, the spring being stopped at one end against said guide bearing and at the other end against shoulder formed by an enlarged head, 91, of the stem in which there is journaled a. roller, 92, with which a cam, 93, on the rock shaft of the weighted lever, 22, eo operates for thrusting the valve stem downward against the resistance ot' the spring 89, to open the valve 8c in the falling movement of the weighted lever when it is released trom the latch, 21.

Below the valve, 8C, there is connected to the fitting, 8X, a pipe, 95, which leads to the accelerating device, said pipe corresponding to the pipe, 12, of the previously described construction shown in Figures 1, 3V and 5,

having the function ot putting the accelerator in communication with the air pressure region of the system while theKsa-nie is norist occur upon the opening of a single sprinkler' head the accelerator device shown in Figure 9 operates as heretofore described in connection with the earlier described structures for releasing the weighted leve-r, 22, and causing itto drop. In this movement ot' the weighted lever the cam, 93, on the rock shaft ol the lever forces the valve, 8, open and thereby ailords free-vent from the air pressure region of the system to the'atmosphere with the result that the main valve is opened by water pressure, the valve is seated by slacking ot the flexible connector, thereby closing all communication by which water might reach the accelerating device.

I claim 1. In a dry pipe sprinkler system in combination with a main valvecasing, a water supply pipe theretoand main valve therein` an accelerator for hastening the ope-ning of the main valve upon the` occurrence of substantial air leakage from the air pressure region of the system, said accelerator comprising chambers communicating with the air pressure region of the system for being affected by the diminution of pressure due to such leakage, and means associated with the accelerator for freely venting the air pressure from saidpressure region; a passage communicating leakage from the air pressure region to the accelerator, and an auxiliary valve controlling the entrance to said passage seating in the direction of the presi sure from the region, and means by which the auxiliary valve is seated in the initial opening movement of the main valve.

2. In a dry pipe sprinkler system in combination with a main valve casing, a water supply pipe thereto and main valve therein, an accelerator for hastening the opening of the main valve upon the occurrence of substantial air leakage from rthe air pressure re gion of the system, said acceleratorA comprising chambers communicating with the air pressure region of the system for being aii'ected by the diminution of pressure due to such leakage, means associated with the accelerator for freely venting the air pressure from said pressure region; apassa-ge coinmunicating leakage from the air pressure region to the accelerator, Van auxiliary valve controlling the entrance to said passage seating in the direction of the pressure from said region, and connections extending between the main valve and the auxiliary valve holding the latter open when the former is seated and releasing it for closing before water passing the main valve can reach said entrance for passing into the accelerator chamber.

3. In a. dry. pipe sprinkler system in combination with a main valve which controls access ot' water to the system and with the air pressure distributing line thereof, means for acceleratingthe full opening of the ma-in valve when there is substantial leakage caus-4 ing reduction of pressure in the air pressure region ot the system; a duct for communication of pressure 'from the air p-ressure region of the system to said accelerating means having its intake in the air pressure region of the main valve casing; a pressure outlet valve mounted in said region for seating outwardly with respect to the valve chamber in said casing at the intake ot said duct; whereby the pressure in the casing tends to seat it, and connections 'from the main valve in said casing to said pressure outlet ,valve for hold-- ingthe latter open when the main valve is seated and releasing it for being closed by the pressure upon the initial movement of the. mainI valve.

ll. In a dry pipe sprinkler system charac'- terized by a movable element and means for ymoving it actuated by pressure derived from the air pressure region of the system through differentiated ports of access to two areas of saidl means, in combination with a main valve having a port through it for communication of the air pressure region above the main valve with an interseat atmospheric pressure chamber below said valve; a vent valve for controlling` said port mounted upon the main valve, the main valve casing having an aperture opening from the air pressure region thereof, a member mounted for limited movement in said aperture both with and against the pressure and operating connections from said member for controlling said vent valve,y said member having a part exposed for mechanical encounter outsidethe valve casing, means mounted outside said casing for locking said part against movement in one valveoperating direction, and connect-io-ns from the said first` mentioned movable element for releasing said locking means.

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 19th day of January, 1925.

EMIL TYDEN. 

